Back from Basic Training

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I am back from basic training with the army, 6 weeks in, and I'm on holiday block leave. It was hell on Earth, but in the end it wasn't that hard if that makes if you can get pass the drill sargeants yelling at you, the drama, and the waiting.... This is no place for a passive person to be since you have to be ready at any given moment, moving with a purpose, and discipline all the time. Strict, attention to detail, perfect, and tons of working out. I talk to a ton of people lately as well, and I'm still consider shy, but people enjoy me enough.

I wouldn't recommend this to anyone unless this is absolutely something you want to do. I am going back to finish what I started though, and I am looking forward to enjoying my vacation and finishing this thing.

It was just hard.

Presuming you aren't signed up for one of those high-speed specialty MOS classifications, look on the bright side...after basic it gets easier.

The only caveat is if you go to an advanced training school and get assigned to a company that has a lousy cadre for support. It can make basic look like a walk in the park. One guy I knew did something clever. He deliberately failed one of his tests so that he'd be rotated back a week or two in training. This meant relocation to another training company, and he said it was the difference between night and day...and easier than complaining up the chain of command about how lousy his superiors were for morale. It didn't have any long-term impact on his service record either.

I don't have a high speed MOS, at least I don't think so, it's in the 35 series. I survive basic training, so I don't have much worries anything.

The main issue I am "was" having is that I felt like a "ret*d", hate to use that term in such a negative fashion, but I am worry if I am too stupid to the things that everyone else is doing with ease, or at least at a mediocre.... It's mainly coordination/moving in step, placing my hands on the right places when were marching (since I can't remember to put my finger here then do this then do this), and that's pretty much it, but it takes up 25% of the downtime. I was worried for a second that I wasn't mentally smart enough to get through it, but I am getting through it better than others can.

Everything else is quite easy or at least I can do it, like shooting a rifle or being at the right place/right time, and the basics of the military life. I never been surrounded by guys on a daily basis like I have now, nor thrown with a bunch of people in close proximity forming relationships. After coming back, I am a different person now, but it's just in little ways; more aggressive, more blunt, and getting dumb things done quicker.

I only cried once during basic training (by myself for a minute in the bathroom), and that was on day 3 or something when the drill sergeant yelled at me and made me do push ups for showing slight attitude in my body gesture. But I told myself I wouldn't cry in front of them and give them satisfaction.

Hardest thing I ever had too do was when I was selected for Admirals Guard and we had to do General Salute Present arms. I just looked on YouTube and the modern version is nothing like we had to do.

We had real SLR Rifles with a bayonet attached, they where long and heavy, which we had been gripping for so long because the Admiral was late, so you couldnt even feel your hands with the silk gloves that made throwing that gun from the ground into the air one handed rather worrying in those slippery white gloves holding the polished wooden stock, perfectly balanced straight, and then slap it with the other hand in perfect timing with the rest of the division, then bring it down against your body whilst you moved your right foot against the back of your left foot.
Your hand didnt reach all around the stock, rather you had a thumb straight down one side, and four fingers down the other and you had to squeeze real tight so that you had enough purchase on that heavy gun.

What's key is to find your "happy place" and go there whenever you can to deal with social stresses. Be it the gym, taking a walk around the compound, etc. Focus on having 1 or 2 quality relationships with people in your unit rather than being best buds with everyone. You want a couple of people you can relate to when you need to have someone to talk to...you don't need to be friends with everyone in order to "fit in."